Letter Writing- Informal and Formal Letter Writing
Parts of an Informal Letter
1. Sender’s Address- This includes the address of the person writing the letter. Following the
traditional format of informal letter writing, the sender’s address is written on the top right-
hand corner of the page. The appropriate punctuation must be maintained while writing the
address as given in the format below.
2. Date- The date is written after the sender’s address. No abbreviations can be used while
writing the date. The day is written first followed by the month and year. The date is written
below the Sender’s address on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Salutation- A salutation is a greeting which is traditionally written immediately before the
body of the letter. The salutation is written after the date and on the left-hand side of the page.
A comma after the salutation is mandatory.
4. Body of the letter- The body of the letter usually consists of three parts which can be
written in three paragraphs. This consists of the introduction (including the opening
sentence), the main subject matter and the conclusion (including the concluding sentence).
Always ensure that the content is appropriate and pertaining to the topic. While the tone of
the letter should be informal, abbreviations and colloquialisms are to be avoided. The
opening sentence should convey the main idea of the letter. This can be explained in more
details in the next paragraph of the letter. The concluding paragraph should be precise and
clear. The content for the concluding paragraph will vary depending upon the subject matter
of the letter.
5. Subscription- This is written after the concluding paragraph and on the right-hand side of
the page. Only the first letter of the first word in the subscription is to be capitalised. A
comma is placed after the subscription.
6. Signature- This is written immediately under the subscription and only consists of the
sender’s first name.
Parts of a Formal Letter
1. Sender’s Address- This includes the address of the person writing the letter. Following the
traditional format of formal letter writing, the sender’s address is written on the top right-
hand corner of the page. The appropriate punctuation must be maintained while writing the
address as given in the format below.
2. Date- The date is written after the sender’s address. No abbreviations can be used while
writing the date. The day is written first followed by the month and year. The date is written
below the Sender’s address on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Receiver’s Address- The receiver’s address consists of the individual being addressed as
well as the address of the individual or institution. This is written after the date on the left-
hand side of the letter.
4. Salutation- A salutation is a greeting which is traditionally written immediately before the
body of the letter. The salutation is written after the date and on the left-hand side of the page.
A comma after the salutation is mandatory. Use “Dear Sir/Madam" for all formal letters
except those being addressed to the editor of a newspaper. If the editor of a newspaper is
being addressed, the salutation will be “Sir” and not “Dear Sir”.
5. Body of the letter- The body of the letter usually consists of three parts which can be
written in three paragraphs. This consists of the introduction (including the opening
sentence), the main subject matter and the conclusion (including the concluding sentence).
Always ensure that the content is appropriate and pertaining to the topic. The tone of the
letter should be formal. Abbreviations and colloquialisms should be avoided. The opening
sentence should convey the main idea of the letter. This can be explained in more details in
the next paragraph of the letter. The content should be clear and precise. Repetition of points
should be avoided. The content for the concluding paragraph will vary depending upon the
subject matter of the letter.
6. Subscription- This is written after the concluding paragraph and on the right-hand side of
the page. Only the first letter of the first word in the subscription is to be capitalised. A
comma is placed after the subscription.
7. Signature- This is written immediately under the subscription and consists of the sender’s
first name and last name.
Informal Letter- Traditional Format
Ashray Apartments,
50, Park Street,
Kolkata- 700016.
6th May, 2020.
Dear Andrew,
Begin…………………………………………………………………………...
First paragraph (Introduction)
Second paragraph (Main content)
Third paragraph (Conclusion)
Yours lovingly,
Joshua
Formal Letter- Traditional Format
Ashray Apartments,
50, Park Street,
Kolkata-700016.
6th May, 2020
The Principal,
St. Xavier’s Collegiate School,
30, Park Street,
Kolkata-700016.
Dear Sir,
Begin……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………….
First paragraph (Introduction)
Second paragraph (Main Content)
Third paragraph (Conclusion)
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Joshua Paul
Assignment
This is to be done in your English Language exercise book.
Informal Letters
1. Write a letter to a friend who was absent from school on a day when a really comical
incident took place. Describe the incident, what was so funny about it and what you learnt
from it.
2. You have recently read a book which has greatly impressed you. Write a letter to your
cousin telling him/her why you were impressed. Advise him/her to read the book.
Formal Letters
1. You are the President of the School Nature Club. Write a letter to a well-known social
worker or environmentalist inviting him/her to be the Chief Guest at the Annual Function of
the Club. Give some details about your Club and the Annual Function.
2. Write a letter to the local Municipal Corporation complaining about the malaria epidemic
in your city. State the causes and suggest ways to deal with the problem.
